The invention relates to a pair of pliers for cutting workpieces, in particular workpieces of metal, said pliers having at least one leg and one pressure element which are connected together by means of a pivot point, wherein the leg of the pliers realizes a jaw of the pliers for receiving the workpiece.
Varied designs of pliers are known and are on the market. The present case is concerned above all with special pliers for cutting workpieces in accident surgery. They are required, for example in orthopedics to nip off wires, nails or screw-type elements. In this case, the prevention of splinters or similar particles of the workpiece during the separating operation is a hygienic necessity to avoid infections. In the case of intraosseous wires in the operative handling of fractures, bone fragments with wires, in the majority of cases with so-called “Kirschner” wires are connected together. Side cutters or similar tools are used to cut off said wires, which, however, also involves the risk of workpiece residues. In addition, considerable forces have to be applied to the pliers in order to cut the corresponding wire.
Such medical or surgical pliers are known, for example, from EP 0 321 884. Using said wire pliers, a wire is pinched-off, which requires considerable force. The same also applies to the pliers as claimed in EP 0 454 615 or DE 43 29 220 A1.
The object of the present invention is, on the one hand, to develop a pair of pliers of the above-mentioned type which is able to be operated with one hand and which does not require a very high level of force to be expended, additionally, however, does not result in any workpiece waste which can remain behind.